Official reports of the town of Wayland 1945-1947, Part 17

Author: Wayland (Mass.)
Publication date: 1945
Publisher: Printed at the Middlesex Freeman Office
Number of Pages: 666


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > Official reports of the town of Wayland 1945-1947 > Part 17


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32


$22,525.00


Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds Received in 1946 and included above


C. O. Baker Fund $ 100.00


Emma D. Wellington Fund


600.00


Edrick C. Shay Fund 150.00


Ada L. Perry Fund


2,000.00


150.00


130


William H. Sayward Fund


100.00


Nellie Hammond Fund


150.00


R. B. Johnson Fund 100.00


A. O. Hubbard Fund


150.00


Florence B. Tyrell Fund


100.00


Gabriel and Regina Yeager Fund


150.00


John B. and Louisa Yeager Fund Frank E. Yeager Fund


200.00


$2,100.00


LIBRARY FUNDS


J. M. Parmenter Fund


2 Pennsylvania Ry. 41/2s of 6/1/65


$2,000.00


U. S. Treasury Bond 21/2s 1964/69 1,000.00


2 U. S. Series G 21/2s 6/1/53


2,000.00


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/1/56


1,000.00


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 5/1/57


1,000.00


10 Paid Up Shares South Middlesex Cooperative Bank


2,000.00


5 Matured Shares South Middlesex Cooperative Bank 1,000.00


Grace Campbell Draper Fund


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/1/56


1,000.00


Ada H. Wellington Fund U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/58 U. S. Series G 21/2s 6/58


300.00


200.00


Cynthia G. Roby Fund


2 Northern Pacific 5s of 7/1/2047


2,000.00


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 5/1/57 Provident Institution for Savings


200.00


Harriet Coburn Damon Fund


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 6/1/56


1,000.00


2 U. S. Treasury 21/2s 1967/72


2,000.00


James Draper Fund $500.00


Ella E. Draper Fund $500.00


1 N. Y. Central Ry. 41/2s of 10/1/2013


1,000.00


Sarah Webster Heard Fund


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/1/56


1,000.00


2 U. S. Treasury 212s 1967/72 Provident Institution for Savings


2,000.00


100.00


James Sumner Draper Fund


1 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR. 4s 3/1/1958 1,000.00


131


1,000.00


150.00


1 U. S. Series G 212 11/1/55 1,000.00


1 U. S. Series G 212s 12/1/57


500.00


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 1/1/58 200.00


Boston Five Cents Savings Bank Natick Five Cents Savings Bank


1,000.00


1,300.00


Lydia Maria Child Fund


Provident Institution for Savings


100.00


Isaac C. Damon Fund U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/1/56


1,000.00


Francis Shaw Fund


1 Peoples Gas Light & Coke Co. 5s 9/1/47 1,000.00


3 U. S. Treasury 212s 1967/72 3,000.00


1 U. S. Series G 21/2s 6/1/56 1,000.00


$32,900.00


Trust Funds-Reinvestments CHARITY FUNDS


Russell Fund :


From Provident Institution for Savings $2,000.00


From Investment Reserve Fund 30.00


To $2,000 Southern Pacific 1st Mtg. 27/8 of 1/1/86 @ 1011/2 $2,030.00


CEMETERY FUNDS


Parmenter Fund $1,000 U. S. Treasury 3s of 6/15/48/46 Called $1,000.00 To U. S. Series G 21/2s 6/58 $1,000.00


Cemetery Funds


From Provident Institution for Savings $2,000.00


From Investment Reserve Fund 30.00


To $2,000 Southern Pacific 1st. Mtg. 27/gs 1/1/86 @ 1011/2 $2,030.00


300 U. S. Treasury 23/4 of 9/47 called $300.00


To U. S. Series G 21/2 6/58 $300.00


2000 Jersey Central Pr. & Lt. 312s 1965 Called 7/46 @ 1041/2 $2,000.00


To 10 Paid up Shares Marlborough Cooperative Bank $2,000.00


1600 U. S. Treas. 27/8 1960/55 Sold @ 111 25/32 $1,600.00


To U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/58 $1,600.00


132


LIBRARY FUNDS


J. M. Parmenter Fund :


3000 Jersey Central Pr. & Lt. 312s 1965 Called 7/46 @ 1041/2 $3,000.00


To 10 Paid up Shares South Middlesex Cooperative Bank $2,000.00


5 Matured Shares South Middlesex Cooperative Bank $1,000.00


Wellington Fund :


200 U. S. Treasury 23/4 9/15/47 Called $200.00


To U. S. Series G 212s 6/58 $200.00


300 U. S. Treasury 27/gs 1960/55 Sold @ 111 25/32


$300.00


To U. S. Series G 21/2s 11/58 $300.00


All Trust Funds are under control of the Trust Funds' Commissioners, with the exception of the Sarah Webster Heard, Lydia Maria Child and James Sumner Draper Library Funds ; these three, by terms of bequests, being under the control of the Library Trustees.


Funds Income


1946


Charity Funds Income


$ 246.88


Income


251.82


Distributed


$ 246.88


Accrued Interest Charge


8.79


To Reserve for Investments


12.15


Dec. 31 Balance


230.88


$498.70


$498.70


Library Funds Income


Jan. 1 Balance


$ 45.09


Income


1,050.06


Payments


$ 886.78


Accrued Interest Charge


9.23


To Reserve for Investment


52.50


Dec. 31 Balance


146.64


$1,095.15


$1,095.15


Cemetery Funds Income Jan. 1 Balance Income


$1,154.22


593.40


Jan. 1 Balance


133


1946


Payments To Reserve for Investment


$ 719.78


29.17


Dec. 31 Balance


998.67


$1,747.62


$1,747.62


Parmenter Cemetery Funds Income


Jan. 1 Balance


$ 386.88


Income


137.50


Payments


$ 283.75


To Reserve for Investment


6.87


Dec. 31 Balance


233.76


$524.38


$524.38


RESERVE FUND FOR INVESTMENTS


Jan. 1 Balance


$2,246.33


Interest Credited


44.59


5% of yearly income from


Charity Funds


12.15


Library Funds


52.50


Cemetery Funds


29.17


Parmenter Cemetery Funds


6.87


Premiums Credited


Parmenter Library Fund


135.00


Cemetery Funds


278.50


Wellington Library Fund


35.34


Transfers to


Cemetery Funds


$ 30.00


Charity Funds, Russell


30.00


Dec. 31 Balance


2,780.45


$2,840.45


$2,840.45


Tax Titles TAKEN IN 1941 FOR 1939 TAXES


1946


Jan. 1


Balance


$ 47.57


Paid in 1946


$ 47.57


$47.57


$47.57


134


TAKEN IN 1942 FOR 1940 TAXES


Jan. 1 Balance


$ 93.25 14.85


1946 Taxes Added Paid in 1946 Foreclosure Sale


$ 80.69


27.41


$108.10


$108.10


TAKEN IN 1943 FOR 1941 TAXES


Jan. 1


Balance


1946 Taxes Added


Paid in 1946


$ 63.44


Charged back to Collector 81.86


Charged to Excess and


Deficiency Acct. Fore-


closure Sale. Four Prop- erties ; bidder failed to pay


178.39


Dec. 31 Balance 285.10


$608.79


$608.79


TAKEN IN 1944 FOR 1942 TAXES


Jan. 1 Balance


1946 Taxes Added


Partial Payments 1946


$ 109.92


Paid in 1946


127.73


Dec. 31


Balance


153.98


$391.63


$391.63


TAKEN IN 1945 FOR 1943 TAXES


Jan. 1 Balance


$ 163.44


1946 Taxes Added


47.85


Dec. 31 Balance


$ 211.29


$211.29


$211.29


TAKEN IN 1946 FOR 1944 TAXES


1944 Taxes


$ 50.75


1945 Taxes


53.73


1946 Taxes


57.75


Interest to Date of Taking


5.84


Costs-8 Tax Titles


46.05


Recording


8.00


$ 491.64 117.15


$ 358.63 33.00


135


Dec. 31 Balance


$ 222.12


$222.12


$222.12


Number of Tax Titles and Amount Outstanding 12/31 /46


No.


Taxes


Valuation


1943


1


$ 285.10


$2,500.00


1944


5


153.98


1,000.00


1945


5


211.29


1,450.00


1946


8


222.12


1,750.00


19


$872.49


$6,700.00


The Town now holds through foreclosure of Tax Titles, 29 pieces of property ; the assessed value being $6,300.00.


FRANK G. MacKENNA,


Town Treasurer.


136


REPORT OF BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF TRUST FUNDS


Conditions relating to the investment situation continued during the past year about the same as in recent years. The higher coupon bonds continue to be called from time to time, including even the Government bonds yielding more than 21/2%. Reinvestment, other than in Government bonds has become increasingly difficult. The Comissioners have authorized the Treasurer to invest certain funds in cooperative bank shares during the past year for the purpose of endeavoring to increase a little the availability of the funds, if not the amount of inter- est. Some funds have been withdrawn from the savings banks and reinvested. All investments made, and changes in invest- ments, as well as the list of the present investments of the funds, will be found in the Treasurer's Report, and it seems unnecessary to duplicate in this report.


There have been no new funds, except the usual regular increase in the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund by gifts from time to time for that purpose.


JOHN W. LEAVITT, Chairman, J. REED MORSS, J. SIDNEY STONE, Clerk.


137


REPORT OF THE TAX COLLECTOR


Outstanding


TAXES OF 1942


Real Estate


Tax Titles disclaimed Abated $20.09


$20.09


$20.09


TAXES OF 1943


Real Estate


Tax Title disclaimed Abated $19.25


$19.25


$19.25


Personal


1/1/46


Balance


$92.82


Collections


$39.19


Abated


53.63


$92.82


TAXES OF 1944


Personal


1/1/46


Balance


$301.15


Collections


$254.75


Abated


46.40


$301.15


Real Estate


1/1/46


Balance


$2,074.112


Tax Title disclaimed


20.30


$2,094.42


Collections


$1,933.47


Abated


110.20


Tax Title credit


50.75


$2,094.42


Poll


1/1/46


Balance


$6.00


Refund


2.00


$8.00


Collections


$4.00


Abated


4.00


$8.00


138


Street Betterment Lakeview Road


1/1/46 Balance Collections


$8.89


$8.89


Excise


1/1/46


Balance


$52.49


Collections


$39.14


Abated


13.35


$52.49


TAXES OF 1945


Personal


1/1/46


Balance


$783.04


Collections


$657.94


Abatement


30.70


$688.64


$94.40


Real Estate


1/1/46


Balance


$19,379.57


Refund


6.91


Tax Title disclaimed


21.49


$19,407.97


Collections


$15,453.69


Abatement


59.10


Tax Title credit


53.73


15,566.52


$3,841.45


Moth


1/1/46


Balance


$18.00


Collections


6.00


Poll


1/1/46


Balance


$74.00


Collections


$40.00


Abatement 24.00


64.00


$10.00


Street Betterment Lakeview Road


1/1/46


Balance


$30.46


Collections


$30.46


$30.46


Outstanding


$8.89


$12.00


139


Outstanding


Street Betterment Pine Ridge 1/1/46 Balance Collections $84.41


$84.41


Street Betterment Lake Road 1/1/46 Balance


$17.60


Collections


$17.60


$17.60


Excise


1/1/46


Balance


$294.94


1/14/47 Commitment


8.00


1/22/47


22.00


$324.94


Collections


240.02


$84.92


TAXES OF 1946


Personal


5/21/46 Commitment


$17,019.09


12/16/46


9.90


$17,028.99


Collections


$16,319.98


Abatement 84.15


16,404.13


$624.86


Real Estate


5/21/46


Commitment


$176,780.34


8/26/46 66


33.00


12/16/46


66


59.40


Refunds


24.60


$176,780.34


Collections $157.290.94


Abatement 1,093.16


Tax Title credit


270.60


$158,654.70


$18,242.64


Moth 5/21/46 Commitment Collections


$482.00


$446.00


..


$84.41


140


Outstanding


Abatement


3.00


449.00


$33.00


Poll


2/18/46


Commitment


$2,200.00


3/29/46


66


286.00


5/13/46


2.00


12/10/46


66


2.00


12/17/46


2.00


Refunds


18.00


Abatements recalled


4.00


$2,514.00


Collections


$1,690.00


Abatement 732.00


2,422.00


$92.00


Street Betterment Lakeview


5/21/46


Commitment


$100.19


7/15/46


49.00


7/22/46


66


63.70


10/21/46


7.00


Refund


21.00


$240.89


Collections $240.89


$240.89


Street Betterment Pine Ridge 5/21/46 Commitment


$127.65


Collections $58.83


58.83


$68.82


Street Betterment Nob Hill


$83.24


5/21/46 Commitment Collections $83.24


$83.24


Street Betterment Lake Road


5/21/46


Commitment


$84.80


Collections $72.80


72.80


$12.00


141


Outstanding


Excise


2/12/46


Commitment


$ 798.75


3/29/46


718.89


7/1/46


2,426.44


7/29/46


394.76


9/23/46


744.83


10/11/46


243.34


11/12/46


242.24


12/19/46


66


92.64


Refunds


34.14


$5,696.03


Collections


$5,125.74


Abatement


122.59


5,248.33


$447.70


Estates of Deceased Persons


1/1/46


Balance


$186.26


1/1/46


..


319.26


4/5/46


Commitment


80.57


$586.09


Collections


$104.72


Abatement


481.37


$586.09


12/31/46 Total Taxes outstanding


$23,563.79


142


ASSESSORS' REPORT


Due to a serious illness, Mr. Brackett submitted his resig- nation effective December 31, 1946. This Board deeply regrets the loss of the services of Mr. Brackett, who has served it, and the townspeople of Wayland, so efficiently for over forty-four years.


Daniel Brackett was born in Limerick, Maine on Novem- ber 25, 1851 and was first elected as Assessor of this Town in 1888, and served for three years. He was next elected Asses- sor in 1903 and served until 1915. He was next elected Asses- sor in 1918 and served continuously until he resigned in 1946, leaving two years of an unexpired term.


In addition to being Assessor, Mr. Brackett served as Town Clerk for fourteen years (1900 to 1914). He also was Town Auditor, Sealer of Weights and Measures, Registrar of Voters, and served in minor offices during his years of public service.


The vast knowledge of assessing, and of town affairs, which Mr. Brackett has accumulated during his terms of office has made him outstanding. We miss his advice and judgment that we could always depend upon, and which he gave so will- ingly. Wayland may well be proud to say that it has had an Assessor who has served for forty-four years, and at his 95th birthday still took an active part in his work.


We disliked very much to accept Mr. Brackett's resignation but he deserves to be free from the problems of town affairs after serving so faithfully for so many years.


Although the joint report, made by the Assessors and the Planning Board, on the Assessors' Maps appears elsewhere in this Town Report, we wish to express our appreciation of the fine work Mr. Everett M. Brooks and his staff have done in the preparation of these plans. The maps have been, and will be for years to come, an immense value to this office. We wish, also, to thank the Planning Board for the assistance they have given to this worthwhile project.


143


Statistics for the year ending December 31, 1946


Real Estate Assessed January 1, 1945


Personal Property Assessed January 1, 1945


Real Estate Owned by Commonwealth


$5,283,695.00 509,705.00 45,588.50


$5,838,988.50


Real Estate Assessed January 1, 1946


Land Exclusive of Buildings


$1,636,955.00


Buildings Exclusive of Land


3,720,025.00 45,588.50


State Owned Land


$5,402,568.50


Personal Estate Assessed January 1, 1946


Stock in Trade


$ 26,950.00


Machinery


292,888.00


Live Stock 66,930.00


All Other Tangible Personal Property 128,962.00


515.730.00


Total Property Assessed January 1, 1946


$5,918.298.50


Total Property Assessed January 1, 1945 $5,838,988.50


Increase


$ 79,310.00


Number of Polls Assessed


1,241


Number of Live Stock Assessed :


Horses


48


Number of Neat Cattle :


Cows


394


Young Stock


104


Bulls


7


Swine


530


Fowl


9,080


All Other :


Mules


2


Turkeys


25


Mink


150


Ponies


5


Colts


1


Goats


21


204


Number of Acres of Land Assessed 8,185


Number of Dwellings Assessed 1,319


144


December Assessment :


Real Estate


Real Estate-revised Personal Estate Additional Polls


$1,800.00 1,000.00 300.00


2.00


Motor Vehicles :


Number


Value


Tax


1946


1,540


$228,170.00


$5,865.47


1945


1,282


124,900.00


4,213.76


Increase 258


$103,270.00


$1,651.71


Exempt from Taxes :


United States Government


Post Office-Equipment $ 400.00


Commonwealth of Massachusetts Weston & Pressure Aqueducts


15,000.00


Widows


16,600.00


Veterans


8,325.00


$40,325.00


Town-Personal and Real :


Schools


$194,500.00


Parks


30,415.00


Fire Department


21,300.00


Police Department


300.00


Water Department


365,000.00


Sealer of Weights & Measures


500.00


Moth Department


2,000.00


Town Hall and Equipment


43,500.00


Highway Department


39,955.00


Library and Books


57,000.00


Cemeteries


3,500.00


Cochituate Civic Center


Building-Land


2,500.00


760,470.00


Churches and Parsonages


Church Property


$145,300.00


Parsonages


11,025.00


156,325.00


Fraternal Societies


Pequod Lodge, I.O.O.F .- Equipment 200.00


145


Corporations


Hannah Williams Playground, Inc. $ 2,200.00


Wayland and Cochituate Legion Building Association, Inc. 15,500.00


Wayland Junior Town House, Inc. 3,900.00


Dorchester House, Inc .- Land 600.00


The Grey Nuns Charities, Inc. 20,000.00


42,200.00


$999,520.00


Tax Levy of 1946


Appropriation for Town Purposes


$316,154.75 7,010.42


Overlay for 1946


$323,165.17


State Tax


$4,550.00


State Park Tax


179.04


State Audit


1,218.18


$5,947.22


County Tax


$8,960.02


Tuberculosis


1,399.81


Under-estimate-1945


21.75


10,381.58


16,328.80


To be Raised


$339,493.97


Estimated Receipts and Available Funds:


Income Tax


$18,128.11


Corporation Tax


8,282.43


Gasoline Tax


5,944.31


Motor Vehicle and Trailer Excise


4,000.00


Licenses


5,943.00


Fines


30.00


Grants and Gifts


6,000.00


Special Assessments-Moth and Betterments


1,000.00


General Government


367.00


Health


136.00


Old Age Assistance


22,500.00


Old Age Tax ( Meals)


1,336.63


School


1,350.00


146


Libraries 195.00


Cemeteries


947.00


Interest on Taxes and Assessments


1,760.00


In Lieu of Taxes 1,504.43


Over-estimate-1945 State Park Tax 44.63


Available Funds 63,740.00


143,208.54


To be Levied on Polls and Property


$196,285.43


Assessed on Polls


$ 2,486.00


Assessed on Personal Property


17,019.09


Assessed on Real Estate


176,780.34


$196,285.43


Betterments :


Tax


Interest


Total


Nob Hill


$ 74.31


$ 8.93


$ 83.24


Lake Road


71.00


13.80


84.80


Pine Ridge Road


100.45


27.20


127.65


Lakeview Road


78.90


21.29


100.19


.


395.88


Moth Tax


482.00


Total Amount Committed to Collector


$197,163.31


Rate on Property :


$33.00


Rate on Motor Vehicles : 35.40


For Abatements see Collector's Report.


Note: It is to be noted that the tax on State owned land is reflected in estimated receipts-"In Lieu of Taxes."


WILLARD C. HUNTING, CHARLES M. MATHEWS, Board of Assessors.


147


REPORT ON ASSESSOR'S MAPS By the Board of Assessors and the Planning Board


February 1947.


December 31 saw the completion of the Assessor's maps for which the Town has been appropriating money for several years. All blocks on the map previously incomplete have been finished including the heavily built Cochituate areas.


This required a large amount of work and time because of the great number of individual parcels involved. Mr. Everett Brooks, the engineer, brought the maps for all parts of the town up to date for all transactions recorded at the Registry previous to the close of the year. As soon as they are duplicated, official copies of the map will be made available to the town Boards and officials which use them.


The work has been so well done by Mr. Brooks and his staff that several other towns have either begun or are consider- ing similar maps. We wish to express our appreciation to Mr. Brooks and his workers and to Mrs. Dorothy Harrington, Secretary to the Board of Assessors, upon whom has fallen much of the searching for titles at the Registry and the clerical details.


A moderate appropriation should be made each year to keep the maps up to date. With proper attention, the maps will be a continually valuable tool not only to the town officers but to all the citizens and property holders. ยท


Board of Assessors CHARLES M. MATHEWS, WILLARD C. HUNTING.


Planning Board FRANK S. TARR, ALLAN R. FINLAY, CHESTER H. HOBBS, HOWARD S. RUSSELL, CARL T. EMERY, B. ALLEN BENJAMIN.


148


REPORT OF THE WAYLAND PLANNING BOARD FOR 1946


This has been a year of hard work and accomplishment for the Wayland Planning Board: twenty-two evening meetings and three daytime meetings of the full board have been held together with numerous sub-committee sessions.


Town Maps Completed


First in importance was the completion, at the end of December, of the Assessors' maps started five years ago and carried out as a joint responsibility by the Board of Assessors and the Planning Board. This achievement is more fully recorded in the joint report of the boards, but from a planning point of view, nothing accomplished in this Board's twenty year history has been more useful and valuable. The originals of the maps along with the scores of other plans accumulated by the Board through the years are being catalogued and will be stored in a map cabinet placed in the town vault. There they will be safe, yet available whenever needed. Accurate as far as pos- sible to December 31, 1946, these maps should be revised and kept up-to-date as changes in property and roads occur.


Sub-Division Regulation


The end of the war brought requests for approval of sev- eral sub-divisions. Anticipating heavy real estate activity, the Board, with the able assistance of the Town Counsel, made a careful revision of its regulations regarding the submission of plans for real estate development. An important feature of the amended regulations requires the developer, before the transfer of lots can be recorded, to construct streets to grade with a twelve inch gravel top and to install water mains. These regu- lations have already proved of great value in safeguarding the interests of the town, and should, in the future, make impossible the sale of lots on undeveloped paper streets without water to the disappointment of the buyer and to the detriment of the town.


Approved by the Board during the year were; a sub-


149


division on the former Linnehan Farm on State Road East re- quested by Charles Wheelock, one off Oak Street near Com- monwealth Road requested by John Simone, and a small division off Training Field Road requested by Gregory Cooper.


In connection with each sub-division approved, the Board prepared a study of the adjoining areas so as to make sure that any roads and water mains approved will tie in with the devel- opment of the whole neighborhood.


One small sub-division requested in Cochituate was disap- proved because it did not comply with zoning regulations.


Aeronautical Development


During the year it developed that a large area of land a mile north of the center had been purchased with the idea of turning it into a flying field and headquarters for an aeronauti- cal club. The Board invited the state director of aeronautics to a meeting for consultation and at others later the purchaser of the property and other citizens were heard. Many aspects of aviation, as related to this town, and of the regulations of the Commonwealth regarding flying were considered. It was decid- ed that if an airport were to be established, public rather than private operation appeared most satisfactory because of heavy contributions available from Federal, State and municipal sources, and for other important reasons. A state survey of Wayland and adjoining towns had already been made. As a result of widespread discussion by townspeople, an article was entered by a group of citizens for the fall town meeting making landing fields illegal in residence districts. After a hearing, on recommendation of the Board, this by-law was adopted by the town and approved by the Attorney-General. When aviation has developed further and the situation is clearer changes can be made to suit altered conditions.


A sub-committee of the Board has been considering the need for other amendments to the zoning by-law to make it clear that lot sizes established in the by-law may not be de- creased through sale of part of a property. Clarifying amend- ments are in the warrant for the annual meeting.


Because of the demand from citizens for copies of the zon- ing by-laws, the Board had them reprinted and copies of these and of the sub-division regulations are available at the Town Hall for any citizen who needs them.


150


Planning Contest


To stimulate public interest in and discussion of the future of the town and of planning and zoning matters, a contest for school children was held. Prizes amounting to $100. gathered by private subscription from interested groups and individuals were offered to members of the high school and of the two upper classes in each grade school. This contest closed on December 31 with a large participation. The results will be made known later.


Lake Cochituate


An important problem faced during the year is the future of Lake Cochituate with a mile of shore line in Wayland. Now in the hands of the Metropolitan District Commission, but no longer needed for water supply, several proposals have been made for its future use. The most satisfactory appears to be to turn it over to the State Department of Conservation for recreational purposes. A meeting of all the Planning Boards concerned with the future of this and other Metropolitan waters, including Framingham, Natick, Ashland and Hopkinton, was called at our Town Hall and a joint program was drawn up for presentation to the Legislative Commission studying the sub- ject. A substantial part of our program was later adopted by the commission calling for co-operation between the state and the towns in the development of the area. This bill is now be- fore the General Court. Our Board together with the Board of Selectmen is endeavoring to see that the level of the lakes is maintained and that recreational activities, if undertaken, are properly established and supervised.


Study for Basic Information


The lack of basic information regarding the probable growth and development of the town caused the Board to feel that investigation was needed so that the town might know what to prepare for in the way of business development, off street parking and highway improvements. We were fortunate enough to secure the services of Mr. Arthur T. Row, Jr., a veteran training in the Harvard School of Planning under the G.I. Bill of Rights, by payment of a modest weekly addition to his allotment. His report recently received gives an illuminat- ing blueprint of the future growth of the town, which he ex- pects to reach a population of six thousand between 1960 and 1965, of the probable increase in school population, and of the facilities both business and municipal likely to be needed. We


151


wish to compliment Mr. Row on his work and to thank him. This report will be available for use later not only by the Plan- ning Board, but by all Town Boards which may need to fore- cast the future.


Street and Water Developments


In connection with water and street development, the Board has held meetings with representatives of the Dudley Pond Improvement Association and with the Riverview Terrace and Alpine Road property owners, giving what help we could with regard to proposals for accepting streets and laying water mains.


On the Board's agenda for 1947 is the request of the Dud- ley Pond Improvement Association and others in Cochituate for a study of a possible road from Stone Bridge Road to School Street, a project which has had considerable attention from this Board in past years and in which local interest is now increas- ingly manifest.


Riverview Terrace


At Riverview Terrace an additional piece of land has been bought by the town at a modest cost on recommendation of our sub-committee on this project. The Board recommends that the work of improving this area by the acquisition of park land, mostly unsuitable for building, be continued under the appro- priation previously made.


"Heater" Pieces


The last town meeting at the Board's suggestion authorized the acquisition of all rights in three "heater" pieces at road intersections. The Board has requested the Selectmen to take the necessary legal steps so that these bits of land may become public proprty. An article has been placed in the warrant to make certain of the town's ownership of one more at the corner of Plain and Claypit Hill Roads.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.